One of the most exciting parts of traveling is being able to fish in a new area. One of the most frustrating parts of traveling is fishing in a new area. It’s the angler’s catch-22. You want to try new places and maybe catch a new species, but you don’t have the time to properly learn the area, so you end up fishing at the wrong location, with the wrong bait, and at the wrong time.

But what are you supposed to do?

Every angler struggles with having the chance to fish a new location, but not the time to adjust to the learning curve. It was something I faced often early on, until I learned a trick so simple it seems like common sense. I started visiting local bait shops before hitting the water.

Every time I fish in a new area, my first stop is a local bait shop. Obviously, if I know I will be traveling in advance, I will do some research. But even then, one of the things that I research is a local bait shop to stop at. This is because the local bait shop is a wealth of knowledge on everything from weather to which spots are hot, and even which bait is out catching everything else.

If you stop in, maybe buy a few dollars of bait or lures and are courteous, the staff are generally more than willing to share their local knowledge.

The first thing I am looking for is a true local shop, not a box store. Big box stores, even those specializing in outdoor gear, generally cannot provide the information or personal attention needed for a one-on-one conversation. Plus the local shop is more likely to employ other hardcore anglers who are also locals.

These are the people who can provide the information you are looking for.

While I am there, I also take a quick look around the shop. Is there any information regarding local weather? Pictures of any recently caught fish? Maybe even other anglers in the shop who are talking about how they have been doing? There is a host of possible information readily available.

Once I get a chance to speak with a staff member, I will ask about bait or maybe a couple of lures.

“Which is working better, minnows or shrimp?” is a great opener. This usually leads to some simple questions from the staff, such as asking what you are hoping to catch or where are you going.

Before you know it, you are in a full-fledged conversation, swapping stories and filled with local knowledge – or at least enough to put a couple fish in the cooler.

This is why I make my first stop in any new location is a local bait shop.

Does it always work? Well, that depends on your definition of work. I have yet to be turned away without at least some of the local knowledge I was seeking, so that is a plus. But I must admit, it does not always lead to a cooler of fish. Of course, I can really count this as a loss.

After all, this is why it is called fishing and not catching.